Speak out for Midwifery: Deliver your Message to Congress

May is a big month for midwives! ACNM
Virtual Lobby Week is coming up next week, May 13 – 17, right on the heels of International
Day of the Midwife (May 5) and Mother’s Day (May 12).

This year, ACNM and the
Government Affairs Committee are rallying midwives to support the Moms for the 21st Century bill (scheduled to be re-introduced to Congress on
May 21) and the Quality Care for Moms and Babies bill (S. 1969 / H.R. 3620). Whether you’re familiar
with the bills or just now hearing about them for the first time, you (yes,
you!) can take meaningful action with our simple virtual tools.

All you need is a
phone, Internet connection, and 10-20 minutes during business hours between May
13 and 17. Be on the lookout for an ACNM action alert in your inbox on Monday,
May 13. If you are already an ACNM member, you receive these alerts
automatically. If you are not an ACNM member, you can sign
up for alerts here. Click on
the “take action” link in the e-mail you receive for quick and easy access to
your legislators’ contact information and step-by-step instructions, including all
the resources you’ll need to make your time most effective.

Beginning this week,
we’ll also post call scripts, a video tutorial, tips for speaking with
legislators, and a follow-up e-mail that can be used after your calls at www.midwife.org/vlw2013.

Please join us during
this special season of honoring midwives and the women we serve. We hope this
year’s ACNM Virtual Lobby Week will generate thousands of e-mails and phone calls
to Congress from midwives like you. While you might not be able to “walk the
halls of Congress,” you can take your message of support for the profession of
midwifery and the women and families you serve directly to the Hill.

Any opinions expressed in this blog are those of the individual participant(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. ACNM is not responsible for accuracy of any of the information provided by guest bloggers and/or members via the Comments section. We welcome all feedback – including comments, ideas and suggestions. We also welcome civil, friendly debates. However, any and all content that is deemed inflammatory or rude will not be posted.